Cooking School: To Le Manoir Born

A Michelin-rated English country house and hotel

Slide 1 Of Cooking School: To Le Manoir Born

A noble example of a classic English country home stands tucked away in the tiny village of Great Milton, England. Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons (The Manor of the Four Seasons) is the United Kingdom’s only country-house hotel to consistently achieve two Michelin stars. Savvy travelers journey southeast of Oxford to enjoy gorgeously appointed rooms, breathtaking gardens, the pleasurable English summer weather, and the grand cuisine of owner/chef Raymond Blanc. For equally savvy food-lovers, all this is secondary to the experience of attending the Raymond Blanc Cookery School, established at Le Manoir in 1991. Here, in a kitchen recently refurbished with the latest appliances and handsome bespoke cabinetry, intimate classes combine classic French cooking techniques with the best of English and French seasonal ingredients. Often, there’s a healthy dose of nutrition along with a little cooking science thrown in for good measure.

A native of Besançon, France, Chef Raymond Blanc ("R.B." to his well-trained and enthusiastic staff of tutors) is teacher, landowner, and innkeeper. "For me, the kitchen is the hub of Le Manoir," he says. "The aim of the school is to help students understand the thought processes and techniques that will give them knowledge and confidence in their own kitchens and enable them to recognize that cooking is fun."

The school's head tutor, 30-year-old Nurdin Topham (above), deftly guides the class in turning locally grown produce into extraordinary dishes. "England is waking up to our local farmers," he enthuses. "Discovering the best sources for food and ingredients is crucial to our school. We like to find the stars of the show.

"We'll top perfect asparagus with a Lemon Sabayon, a dish that reflects R.B.'s philosophy of food-purity, nobility, and seasonality. The airy sabayon is like traditional hollandaise in spirit alone. It's made with eggs, water, and only 50 grams of butter. The eggs work their magic with air, so we end up with a light, melty sauce," he adds.

"We learned to use our senses before we cooked. We gained incredible confidence in choosing ingredients and adjusting recipes to our tastes," says Kimberly Shadur, an Iowan who attended a weeklong class with husband Craig and friends Pat and Louis Schneider.

Lou Schneider chimes in: "The whole thing was an incredible blend of cooking and English culture-with a touch of French. It was total immersion." Not surprisingly, the experience at Le Manoir embodies perfect sense and sensibility.

The secluded village of Great Milton and its manor house have played a quiet role in British history since their 13th-century beginnings. The surrounding fertile farmlands helped supply the Bishop of Lincoln during the Norman Conquest. Always a favorite getaway for reigning monarchs, the manor has been consistently renovated and improved through the centuries.

The last private owner of Great Milton Manor-as the house was known for most of its history-was David Bewicke-Copley, Lord Cromwell. After his death, Lady Cromwell sold the manor in 1984 to Raymond Blanc, who renamed it. Evidently, the late Lord Cromwell did not approve of the sale (or the name change) and caused a bit of ghostly ruckus in the master bedroom. A priest was called in to exorcise the spirit, and Le Manoir has been peacefully welcoming visitors ever since.

In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks and water until 4 to 5 times original volume. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and continue to whisk constantly until thickened and foamy (mixture will be light yellow in color), about 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove from heat. Slowly whisk in the butter, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne. Pour through a sieve lined with 100% cotton cheesecloth; set aside.

Cook asparagus in a large pot of boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain; arrange on a platter. Serve with sauce. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

In a large bowl mix together butter, powdered sugar, and 2 egg yolks. Add the flour to the mixture and rub together using your fingertips, until it becomes sandy in texture. Add the water, then mix until a dough forms. Form dough into a ball; divide in half. Flatten each half into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 30 minutes.

Mix the chopped rhubarb with the 1/3 cup sugar and place in a medium saucepan. Bring to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool, uncovered, to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Roll one dough half between two sheets of plastic wrap to a 11-inch circle. Remove top layer of plastic wrap. Carefully pick up pastry circle and place, plastic side up, in a 9x1-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Remove plastic. Gently press into sides of pan, trimming even with edges. Pastry will be very thin and delicate. If it breaks or tears, patch and pinch it back together. Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork. Line pastry with foil and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake pastry for 10 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 4 to 5 minutes more or until very lightly browned. Brush the inside of tart with egg. Return to oven for 1 minute. Set aside on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

Place 2 yolks and 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl and whisk together. Whisk in the cream and lemon peel. Spoon the rhubarb mixture over the bottom of the baked pastry. Pour cream mixture slowly over rhubarb.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until cream layer is set. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Tip: You will have 1 portion of dough leftover. Chill up to 1 week to use for another recipe.

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large oven-going skillet, cook the potatoes in hot olive oil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until just starting to brown, stirring frequently. Stir in salt and pepper. Place the pan in the oven and roast, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. Stir in the butter, parsley, shallot, and garlic until well combined. Makes 4 servings.

*Roasted Garlic: Preheat oven to 375°F. With a sharp knife, cut off the top 1/2 inch of 2 whole garlic bulbs to expose the ends of the individual cloves. Leaving garlic bulbs whole, remove any loose, papery outer layers. In a large oven-going skillet cook the bulbs of garlic, cut sides down, in 1 tablespoon hot olive oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Place skillet in oven. Roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes until golden and soft. Cool slightly. Squeeze garlic pulp into a small bowl. Mash pulp with a fork. Store garlic in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

Preheat oven to 375°F. For crumbs, place the bread in a food processor. Cover and process until coarse. Transfer to a small bowl. Add parsley, thyme, rosemary, and garlic. Add 1/4 cup oil and stir to combine. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Place in a shallow dish; set aside.

For lamb, season lamb with salt and pepper. In a very large oven-safe skillet heat 2 tablespoons olive oil; drain fat. Add lamb; brown on all sides. Place in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and brush the mustard all over the meat, avoiding the bones. Press the racks in the breadcrumb mixture, coating well. Roast for 4 to 5 minutes more or until done (145° on an instant read thermometer). Serve with Lamb Sauce and pea mixture. Makes 4 servings.

Presentation tip: After roasting lamb for 10 minutes, remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Working from bone side of rack, remove every other bone, using a boning knife. Coat with mustard and crumbs and proceed as above.

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl mix together the flour, ground almonds, and 3 tablespoons sugar. With your fingertips, rub 3 tablespoons softened butter into the mixture until coarse crumbs form. Spread evenly in a shallow baking pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

In a medium saucepan melt 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons sugar over medium heat. Continue to cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until a light caramel color, stirring occasionally. Carefully stir in the berries, Kirsch, and lemon juice. Cook for 30 seconds just until the first bubble breaks the surface; remove from heat. If the caramel mixture solidifies when the berries are added, cook and stir a minute or two longer until it just melts.

Place the hot strawberries into an au gratin dish or individual dessert dishes and sprinkle with crumbled almond topping. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Makes 4 to 6 servings.